Tail-Tag Student Autumn League, Round 5: Edagawa Stops Its Slide With a Rematch Win Over Shiodome Academy
Round 5 of the Tail-Tag student autumn league was held on the 22nd at Kameido Second Gymnasium. Edagawa Metropolitan High School, which had lost its previous match to Toyosu, previously reported on the 13th, beat Shiodome Academy — its opponent from the season-opening match on September 14th — 11-8 in tags taken, stopping its slide at one straight loss.
Round 5 of the Tail-Tag student autumn league was held on the 22nd at Kameido Second Gymnasium. As previously reported, Edagawa Metropolitan High School's Tail-Tag club had gone 3-1 since opening the season on September 14th with a 12-9 win over Shiodome Academy, before suffering its first loss of the year in Round 4 on the 13th, overtaken late by first-time entrant Toyosu Metropolitan High School after a 9-9 tie, falling 10-9. Round 5 on the 22nd paired Edagawa against that same season-opening opponent, Shiodome Academy; Edagawa pulled away in the middle of the match and won 11-8, stopping its slide at a single loss.
Edagawa's team captain said, "In the opening match, it felt like both sides were just charging ahead without knowing each other's tendencies. This time we knew how they moved, and we were able to fix the sloppiness the last loss exposed in us. Facing the same opponent again let us really confirm how much we'd grown." Asked about the previous round's loss, the captain reflected, "It was frustrating, but Toyosu's way of taking tags late in the match was genuinely impressive. Winning the way we did today feels like getting a little of that back."
Shiodome Academy's captain showed clear frustration: "We came intending to settle the score from the opening match, but if anything, they were the ones who'd sharpened up. Once they pulled ahead in the middle of the match, our attacking got one-note." The team's advisor remained upbeat: "Still taking eight tags is itself a gain. We want to regroup before the next round."
As previously reported, Tail-Tag's rules specify that players with animal traits have their actual tails protected by a 'do not touch' rule, with only the cloth ribbon tucked at the waist eligible to be taken. Edagawa's roster this season includes a first-year, second-generation fox-lineage player, and one referee said, "We always go over this as a pre-match point, and it was observed properly in today's match too." The player herself laughed, "At first some opponents got confused and nearly grabbed for my actual tail instead of the ribbon. It surprises people a lot. I'll be glad once everyone gets used to it."
Elsewhere in Round 5, previously reported Toyosu Metropolitan High School beat Kameido Academy 10-7, extending its unbeaten run to two straight since entering the league. In the overall standings, Toyosu sits alone atop the table with its unbeaten record intact, while Edagawa, at 3 wins and 2 losses, holds third place.
Round 6 of the student autumn league is set for early November. Edagawa's captain said, "I don't know when we'll face Toyosu again, but when we do, I want to carry forward how we won today."
